Consequences of a Note
by Storm0fCrows
Summary: "It's a funny thing, ambition. It can take one to sublime heights or harrowing depths... and sometimes they are one in the same." -Lady Emily Kaldwin. Empress of the Isles
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 00: Prologue._

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Dishonored.**

 **A/N: The sections in Italics are from the Outsider's Perspective**.

o0o0o0o0o

 _The day had started just like most days in Dunwall, at least that was for outsiders trapped in the city, but for those few true citizens who had survived the Lord Regent's culling the day was filled with a certain sadness._

 _For young Lady Marian Shaw, a girl of twelve, the day would become doubly so._

 _Six months had passed since Empress Jessamine Kaldwin was murdered and the disappearance of their dearly departed Empress's daughter Emily both perpetrated by the Lord Protector, Corvo Attano. There had been rumor after rumor as to why the ever loyal Lord protector would ever do such a thing: but none were remotely believable… well except for one, but even then it took a stretch of imagination to even consider the thought._

 _As a lady of a nearly destitute House, Marian had been expected to overcome her family's financial short comings, as such she was forced to learn every dirty little rumor and help spread them when necessary. This particular rumor, had begun as an off handed comment made by Lydia Boyle that had propagated faster than the Rat Plague._

 _She claimed that the dearly departed Empress was romancing her very own Lord Protector, and while he was away she had found comfort in another. Feeling guilty, the Empress admitted her affair to the recently returned Corvo… and he murdered her with his own blade._

" _Pure lunacy," her father had said when she first mentioned the rumor. "Corvo wouldn't have had time to hide the girl if it had been a crime of passion."_

 _Marian had smiled upon hearing that her father agreed with her, as it was an all too rare occurrence she dared not ask him to elaborate on the matter._

 _Lord Montgomery Shaw had always been a proud and more often than naught emotionally distant but that was to be expected from the man who was barely keeping his family above the water, but all of that could have changed if not for one small note._

 _Like some nobles, Lord Shaw took exception to the Overseers tightening grip in the city and the Lord Regent's ever looming, ever growing, shadow. He had come to fear that one day his enemies would make their move and she would be left alone… or so the whispers told her._

 _As such Lord Montgomery searched for men who could be of service and once he reached the Flooded district, he had found them. she had been instructed by some of the best blademasters outside of the Abbey's control, the Whalers._

 _Daud had lent him Lurk for an exorbitant fee but it had been well worth it, at least in the eyes of the lord. The assassin taught Poor little Marian how to dance with a blade and move in the shadows, more often than not scolding her for mistakes and her highborn status. Though Marian never saw her face she had come to believe that Lurk, on some obscure level, cared for her… just like her father._

 _Truth was Marian could scarcely believe that he cared anymore, she had been prohibited from attending hundreds of gatherings, she had even been barred from attending the lady Emily's birthday. She was like an ill kept secret and now… her father could barely look at her._

 _It had all come to pass after her mother fell ill to the plague. Marian took after her Pandyssian mother, you see, and her darker skin offered her little room for error amongst the nobility._

 _Though some servants had mentioned that she looked rather stunning since she had inherited her father's steely blue eyes and her grandmother's features._

 _She was just a sweet innocent girl and nothing would ever change that._

 _Or so I thought, and now you're here._

 _All it took was a note and a well-placed bullet to make you all so interesting._

 _Do you remember that day?_

 _Do you remember being her, Marian?_

 _No? Then allow me to refresh your memory, old friend._

 _O0o0o0o0o_

Marian walked calmly around the Boyle Estate searching for other children whose parents were either didn't care where they were or were too drunk to keep track of them. Adults never noticed what children did.

She was carful to avoid her father, who came with a rather ugly wolf mask, and his guard.

She dressed in a simple black coat and a raven feathered bird mask the covered the entirety of her face. It was just enough to be seen but not enough that she was noticed.

Her short sword was kept at securely on her hip.

She marveled at the beauty hidden in the gardens of the Boyle estate. They had been like a mazes of flowers and statues that both fascinated and terrified poor Marian.

She wasn't used to so many people in one place, but all their stories were either disinteresting or common knowledge.

Corvo Attano's escape from Coldrige Prison…

The High Overseer was marked as a disciple of the Outsider. Dumped in the Flooded District.

The Pendleton Twins disappearing from the Golden Cat…

Whispers of the gang leader, Slackjaw, disappearance…

The death's surrounding the infamous Granny Rags…

And the topic on everyone's tongue, the identity of the masked assassin. Some say, he's the Outsider himself; others, that he's a wraith out to punish those in service to the Lord Regent.

There was nothing useful in mere speculation, so Marian simply filtered them out.

It wasn't until she passed Lord Ramsay did she find something of note.

"Did you hear that Old Monty received a note from Pendleton?" Lord Ramsay whispered into Lady Timsh's ear.

"Really?" She said with no small amount of shock. "Didn't he go into hiding after his brothers disappeared?"

"Yes, but he sent a messenger in his place." He said a bit more loudly.

"What did the note say?"

"Well. I don't know, but I bet, we'll see it after the duel." Marian didn't hear anymore as broke into a wild sprint. She ran past the guards and the party guests searching for any sign of her father.

While she ran her mind entered a state of panic.

' _Without him, they'll all leave!'_ She mentally screamed at herself. He was her only real connection, if he died the servants would leave and Lurk would surely never return… she'd be alone, without a penny to her name nor a roof to sleep under.

That's when she saw them.

Her father in blue over coat and a brown, feral wolf mask his back was turned to an imposing figure. The man was clad in in a worn black and red coat with golden accents and his mask was unlike anything she had ever seen, it inspired a primordial terror that she thought only the Outsider was capable of.

He was Death.

…1…

…2…

…3…

BANG!

The thunderous echo of the guns was drowned out by the cheers of the gathering crowed and the explosion coming from the tall-boy's exploding bolts that echoed from behind the large fences and high walls of the Boyle estate.

For a precious instant, Marian thinks that her father had escaped death. He stood there, tall and strong but that was before his body realized that a bullet had entered his heart.

She stood apart from the world she had grown up in, knowing full well that it was going to change.

Without her father the youngest of Pendleton's would take her home and with it everything else in her family's name.

She was suddenly very thankful for the ornate mask that hid her face. True tears had no place amongst the nobility of Dunwall, it was like throwing chum at Hagfish. Fear soon filled her as the embodiment of Death walked in her direction, undeterred by the life he had just taken and unaware of the other he had just destroyed.

The man moved like a specter, his footfalls unnaturally quiet as he glided through the celebrating spectators. When the hooded figure passed by her she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding but her heart still wanted to tear itself free from the confines of her chest.

But as frantic as her body had become her mind ran quickly and tried its best to overcome the fear that was slowly eating away at her rational train of thought.

The realization that she was going to die if she stayed in the plague ridden city came quickly and without mercy, and with it an overwhelming idea spread in her.

She needed to escape…

o0o0o0o0o

 _And what an escape you made!_

 _Like a desperate animal trying to claw itself free from a trap, you predictably tore through Dunwall in a way only you could._

 _You put your training to work, stealing clothes from the dead, stabbing a guard who tried to help you, and killing a sailor that spotted you creeping onto one of Charlington Ludd's smuggling ships._

 _You were lucky that your former teacher found you before the captain had your hide… another unexpected twist, Daud might have killed her and where would that left you?_

 _Would you be the woman that you are today?_

 _A servant to the prince and princess of Wynnedown, just another mask for you to wear as your birds gather more secrets._

 _Allow me to give you a warning, old friend. Things are going to change again. Your actions or inactions will affect the Empire in ways you couldn't comprehend._

 _And here I'll be…_

 _In the Void…_

 _Watching you with unusual attention._

o0o0o0o0o

 **A/N: This has been an idea I had floating around in my head since the first issue of** _ **The Wyrmwood Deceit**_ **.**

 **I wrote this chapter mostly from the Outsider's perspective because I felt it was the best way to introduce this Original Character. I purposefully didn't give Marian any dialog for two reasons; the first: as a small reference to the first game where Corvo was a silent character. The second: The Outsider never seems to have conversation's with any of the protagonists he only monologs as if knowing what their response is going to be.**

 **Please Review.**

 **I really do enjoy reading them, so share your thoughts.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 01: The Hollow Men

 **28** **th** **Day, Month of Wind, 1847**

" _The Abbey of the Everyman is the seat of religious power and inspiration for all Overseers across the Empire. The order arose over the years to protect the common people from the ravages of the Outsider, until the need for a central bastion of authority was deemed necessary. This imposing structure is a destination for pilgrims seeking refuge or guidance._

 _Many mistakenly attribute the Abbey's construction to High Overseer Benjamin Holger, when it was in actuality Holger's successor John Clavering who laid the foundation. Shortly after the Abbey was completed, every Overseer in the land gathered there and began a trek to White Cliff._

 _There, a great siege commenced, as the Overseers purged the region. The battle raged against heretics, witches and thralls of the Outsider. Though Holger was killed in the struggle, White Cliff was cleansed and the ceremonial rites that followed lasted for a month, giving birth to many invocations and speeches which were inscribed in tomes and carried back to the Abbey, where they are still revered today._ "

 **-Excerpt from a larger work of history of the Overseers**

 _Was that the moment where your innocence died?_

 _When you learned that your whispers meant nothing when compared to roar of a gun?_

 _Or was it in Morley?_

 _When you killed that boy who betrayed you for a loaf of bread?_

 _Do you even remember?_

 _Does it matter, you ask?_

 _It's been ten long years since you peaked my curiosity, Marian. You've managed to keep entertaining me with every single one of your actions. You haven't just survived like I thought you would, you've prospered. Every friend and enemy you've manipulated… each choice you've made has fascinated me…_

 _With each secret collected and tale weaved you've come closer to reaching your goal._

 _Yet, you have a long road ahead of you…_

 _To answer your question, yes, those moments d matter._

 _Now answer mine._

 _Will you allow an Empire to crumble for your family's death?_

 _Will you spill a river of blood in the memory of a ghost?_

 _These are the questions I asked your father's killer._

 _These are the questions that changed him._

 _Leave._

 _And know that I am watching._

 **o0o0o0o0o**

Marian awoke in a cold sweat, her body shaking from the exposure to brutal emptiness that was the Void. It had always been like, this from her first encounter with the Outsider to whenever she came across one of his many hidden shrines, the cold would creep into her bones and lingered for an hour before leaving her.

Marian sighed, she should count herself lucky that he hadn't come while she was in Wynnedown Hold. The sheer amount of Overseers present in the old grey stone castle made it difficult enough for those untouched by the Outsider. Not that it really mattered, she could have easily claimed any irregularity to be caused by exposure to white leaf tobacco coming from one of the many artistic neighbors that deemed it necessary to smoke the plant at all hours.

She laid in the windowless room she'd boarded up when she'd first purchased the her two story house. Her eyes were half-lidded and her arms felt heavy, but who was she to complain? She had the opportunity to join the Guard, hours were supposed to be regular, which would have made life much easier, but she'd attracted the attention of Queen Alexandra and King Wyman the fourth.

Marian imagined what her life would have been had her father been a less proud man, as she pulled away the thick comforter that covered her while she slept. She imagined that she would have been unliked by the other nobles because of her reputation and not for the color of her skin. She would probably be married to a richer noble, to elevate her family's status, there would be no love between them but her children would want for nothing.

It had been both an impossible dream and an all too real nightmare when she was a child. It was the reason that Marian Shaw never returned Dunwall. As a Foster she had lived and learned more than she'd been allowed to as a Shaw. It would be a relief to just forget that part of her life but Billie had taught her the responsibility of carrying the memories of the departed, so they wouldn't be lost to the Void.

It was the memory of her father that fed her anger. Every time she looked in a mirror, she saw his eyes looking back to her own and she would be filled with a rage cold rage.

Marian knew that her love had become toxic and in moment s of weakness she caught herself wishing that he'd never existed at all.

It took her a moment but she eventually untangled herself from the thick alabaster sheets. Marian rose from the bed nude as the she'd been born and was instantly bombarded by the chill that floated through the room. She usually slept in the nude when she was alone,

It was freeing, but it put her at a disadvantage when trapped in the cold Void.

But that was a very different kind of cold. Cold from the Void was emptiness, cruel emptiness that only the Outsider could survive in.

In complete darkness she grabbed a sterling silver ring with a diamond shaped indent from the nightstand next to her bed and walked to the far wall with practiced steps. Once there, she rose her right hand to the level of her chest until it rested on a round mechanism with a round hole. With her left hand she inserted the ring into the mechanism, there was a series of thunks and clicks coming from behind the wall, and then the ring was gently ejected from the slot.

Marian caught the ring as it fell and placed it on her right index finger. Marian then pushed the wall. The stone wall shifted under her weight and it collapsed into the floor.

Billie, or Meagan as she went by now, had helped her purchase the house as a retreat whenever she took a break from the _Dreadful Whale_ and her adventures with Sokolov. They'd bought it from one of the Inventor's friends one Piero Joplin who needed the coin for a house in Dunwall.

Light flooded into the room forcing Marian to shield her eyes with their eyes. Once her eyes adjusted she noted the large portrait of Billie and herself on the deck of the _Dreadful Whale_ , her face had a false smile next too a smirking Billie.

She remembered that day… it had been her second year of traveling with the former assassin, the sun had been shining they were heading for Tyvia with the old man, They stood together for hours until the he was finished.

' _Its been a while since they'd visited.'_ She thought absent mindedly as she approached the painting. She had to admire the attention to detail that Sokolov put into a non-commissioned work. The waves felt like they could just jump out of the page and drench her in the freezing water. Marian then let her attention fall to the simple wood dresser.

She pulled out her black servant uniform and one of the three collapsible blades she'd found around the house. She laid them both on a nearby char and placed it on them on a nearby stool. She then proceeded to walk to the door where four letters were scattered on the floor. She quickly gathered them into her hands and walked back to her clothes.

She dressed quickly, hiding the blade in her right boot, and sat on the stool.

Placed three of the letters and opened the first one.

 _Dear Marian,_

 _I hope this letter finds you in good health. Should you not be, please send a letter to me detailing you're the characteristics of the disease to Alfred in the docks. The man might be a fool but he has the purest form of my elixir outside of Dunwall. I know it has been nearly a year since we came to visit you in Morley but I feel that we might be closer to understanding the Void more than ever. The Pandyssians have been of great help and your sister gained the local shamans trust. I hope that you will join me in our next expedition._

 _In your sisters letter, there is a gift from me._

 _I hope you find it useful._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Anton Solokov._

Marian couldn't help but smile as she read Sokolov's letter. He worried far too much for a man who exposed himself to so much danger. There was a part of her that feared that he felt responsible for her and another that was glad that he cared.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Marian opened the second letter and cringed.

Lizzy Stride had been a storm that had almost wrecked Marian's operation when she took control of the Dock and they quickly developed a very bipolar relationship.

 _I found something you might be interested in. Meet me on the second night of the next month at the usual place._

 _I'll be waiting my little sweet bird._

 _-Lizzy_

Marian cursed under her breath. It would be exceedingly difficult to sneak out of the castle with the High Overseer coming to visit. But it wasn't often that Lizzy went out of her way to contact her… and usually that meant she had discovered something worthwhile.

After a short but fierce internal debate, she decided that she would go, with any luck Lizzy might have lead on the missing children.

The third letter had a distinguished envelope, made from fine paper. She didn't even have to open the letter to know it was a summon from either Prince Wyman or Princess Alba. They had never been, the letter being evidence of that fact as se was set to arrive in the late evening.

Not too gently, Marian tossed the letter to the floor an proceeded to open the slightly bulged letter from her 'sister'. She knew it was bad manners to pull the gift before reading the letter, but it was rare for Sokolov to send her gifts. From the envelope she pulled a small cylindrical whalebone charm and attached to it was 'Meagan's' letter.

 _Marian,_

 _There are rumors about children going missing in Morley and I know by the time this letter reaches you it will be far too late to dissuade you from investigating them, so I'll keep this simple._

 _Stick to the shadows, don't be seen, and if you are…_

 _I'll find you_

 _P.S: Read the note before grabbing charm, greedy brat._

Marian couldn't help but smile. "Cheeky bitch." Putting down the letter she wrapped her hand around the small totem of the Void and let its energy flow through her.

The charm gave off an energy that oozed of deception, indicating that it augmented her stealth abilities in some way or another. Maybe it made her harder to detect when hidden in the darkness, or maybe it would let her maintain her shadow form for longer spans of time… or maybe it simply made her look less of a threat.

Bone Charms were funny trinkets that came in all shapes and seizes, and hid all types of hidden abilities trapped within containers of death. Every time she came across one of them she knew that a piece of her was taken away and was replaced with the Void.

Marian placed the charm in her empty boot and readied herself for a long walk to the castle. She walked to the door grabbed a grey duster coat, her worn, black tricorn hat that, and heavy winter gloves to place over her delicate work gloves. From the coat she pulled a reddish bandana and wrapped it around the lower half of her face.

Once she felt ready, she walked out the front door and into the raging beast that was winter in Morley.

 **o0o0o0o0o**

Wynnendown was a beautiful city, at least it was in Marian's opinion.

The city was always decorated for some festivity or another, in this case they were celebrating the victory of the Overseer's over the heretics of White Cliff. There were effigies of the Outsider hanging from the light posts, a few men dressed in classical red Overseer garbs without the snarling masks, and some women dressed like witches by decorating their clothes with flowers and other plant life.

There weren't any children on the street, which made the festive city seem as lifeless as Tyvia…

No one noticed a few children disappearing off the street, many assumed that they were taken in by the Overseers, but that was before they started being taken from their homes and their numbers reached two dozen.

Most still blamed the Overseers, others thought it was the Outsider, but she suspected men as the culprits of the crimes. Men like the Pendletons and Ludd would be her prime suspects but it would be far too easy, and frankly they weren't stupid enough to enrage a kingdom that staved off the Empire.

Marian walked in hurried pace as she reached the castle.

The Stone Tower, as the locals called it, was a relic from times long since forgotten. The Dunwall Tower was a larger replica of the castle, but unlike it's the Dunwall Tower that was made of white marble The Stone Tower was built from hard Morley stone and had never been breached by an enemy force.

She walked through the Castle gates with ease, the guards knew her face and were used to her coming and goings. It was an oversight she planned to exploit should the need ever arise. There were only a handful of Guards she actually remembered by name Captain Janika of the Royal Guard was chief among them. She came from Serkonos and was rumored to be a very fine duelist, but she knew little else about the aging woman.

Marian had heard it said that she was once a pirate who had lost her son and her crew to the sea and found safe harbor in Wynnendown under the benevolence of the King… but when asked the he was evasive and swore to never mention it again. So she decided that she could not disregard those rumors completely.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her head Marian continued up to the entrance of the Tower and to her surprise found aforementioned Captain of the Guard standing at the entrance in her black dress uniform looking as imposing as ever. She stood half a head taller than Marian, her long raven hair tied in a simple Wolf-tail, and her cold brown eyes stared into nothingness.

"Captain Janika." Marian greeted courtly and with a slight bow.

"Miss Foster." She returned the greeting plainly, keeping her eyes to the distance. "You're not scheduled to arrive till after the second shift." The captain was not being accusatory in at all, in fact she almost sounded curious.

" Princess Alba summoned me, Captain." She said without looking away.

"You've been gone a week, Miss Foster." Janika eyes softened for an instant. "Of course the child misses her companion," Her eyes returned to their usual hardness. "Be on your way."

"By your leave, Captain."

"Keep her in the castle grounds." The captain said with finality. "The city is far from safe in these troubling times."

"Of course, Captain." With that Marian was allowed to enter the stone fortress.

Inside the Tower was lavishly decorated with the banners of Morley in red and silver and the flag of the Empire in blue and gold. She barely had time to take it all in before she was nearly tackled by a small girl in a fine dress.

Princess Alba was a pretty girl that Marian was sure would gain her a fair share of suitors maybe an Emperor if the Empress ever had a son. She long healthy black hair and bright green eyes. She was nearly ten years old and was rather tall for her age and looked almost exactly like her mother except for he father's nose and she also inherited her father's kind disposition.

The ten year old wrapped her arms around Marian and pressed herself flush against the older woman.

"I missed you, Marian" The Princess whispered into Marian's chest.

Marian smiled a true smile and placed her arms around her. "I missed you too, sweat girl." She pushed the girl back and smirked when she noticed the time. "Shouldn't you be with studying with Alfred?"

The princess pouted but refused to let her go. "He's so boring, Marian." She whined.

"Hush now, Sweet girl. It's unbecoming of royalty to whine so publicly."

"Mother does it all the time!" She tried to defend.

Marian had to fight the sudden laugh that threatened to burst from her body. "Let me greet your father and the we'll go meet Alfred." She saw that Alba was about to protest but was able to cut her off. "No objections." She said sternly.

So silently the duo made their way to the Royal Library, it was where the King spent his mornings before meeting with the staff.

The Library was a grand place with bookshelves that reached the ceiling and had a single large stained glass window depicting the sun and moon. She walked in without announcing herself and found the king reading a book _Hungry Cosmos_ written by Anton Solokov while leaning on his desk.

The King had once been an attractive man but the years and war had robbed him of his youth and left his face scarred.

"Your majesty, I have arrived with our wayward princess." She greeted jokingly. "What should I do with her?"

King Wyman looked up from the book and graced his daughter with a mischievous smile. "Is that so?"

"Yes, my King, she ambushed me while she was supposed to be in class."

"Hmmmm." He hummed. "Tell Alfred to teach her about stone work for the rest of the day." The young princess blanched and made to protest.

"But Father, we were learning about the Great Burning!"

"And look how much that entertained you." He scolded, with a wave of his hand he dismissed them both. With a pout but unwilling to fight with her father Alba stomped her foot and left the room. Marian made to follow her at the King's dismissal

"Miss Foster," He called out before she could follow Alba. Marian turned to meet the aging kings gaze, in his hand was a small parcel no larger than the tome he'd been reading when she had entered the library. "I need you to give this Alexandra, you can find in the garden after you make sure that Alba is safely left in Alfred's care."

"As you wish, your majesty." She said taking the package.

"And Miss Foster."

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"Please take that coat your wearing to your quarters and please something more appropriate for the governess of my children."

"Of course, your Majesty."

"On your way then." He dismissed.

 **o0o0o0o0o**

Marian eventually tracked young Alba back to her study room where Alfred was lecturing Prince Wyman on the trade agreement between Morley and Tyvia, young girl was seated in a chair facing the far wall.

Reassured that the Princess was securely in Alfred's care, Marian made her way towards the gardens.

The gardens were the newest addition to the castle in since the aviary installed nearly fifty years prior to Wyman the fourth's ascension to the throne. The gardens were constructed for the express enjoyment of the Queen, it had been the King's gift for the exiled Tyvian princess designed and built by Sergei Goling. In the summer months the garden was an explosion of color in the otherwise grey and cold tower; in winter it was a spectacular sight of icicles reflecting the few rays of the sun that managed to pierce the thick cloud floating above the Isle.

Marian walked deep into the artificial ice maze, her hands firmly placed on the right side of the wall an old trick the Queen had taught her for whenever she accompanied Alba to the small gazebo located at its heart. For an unmarked human it would take ten full minutes to traverse the maze, but to Marian, who was Marked, could make it in three.

Marian found the Queen sitting in the gazebo in a heavy coat made from Tyvian grey wolf skin. The queen was a vision to all that had the privilege lay eyes on her . She had skin as white as snow, hair as dark as the Void, eyes as grey as ice, and lips as red as blood. The queen was still quite young, being only ten years older than Marian. That made her twenty years younger than the King.

Alexandra looked up from her book and smiled at the young governess.

"Sweet Marian." She greeted with her almost hypnotic voice. "How was your vacation my dear?"

"It was quite fine, my lady." Marian responded, returning the Queen's smile with one of her own. "Anton sends his greetings and hopes that you will pose for him for his next portrait."

The Queen laughed heartedly. "Tell him that I would graciously pose for him should he ever decide to grace us with again."

"I will, my lady." Marian slowly walked over to the gazebo holding. "The King has sent me with a package."

"Did my dear husband finally find it?" Alexandra whispered, and quickly snatched the parcel from Marian. Her warm smile and mannerism were gone and I their place was a wall of ice like the ones that surrounded them.

Curious, Marian stood waiting to be dismissed watching as the queen ripped open the bindings of the package. The young woman was only able to get a glimpse of the cover the tittle _Oculus_ stamped in silver ink, before a shadow moved at the edge of her vision. Instinct overrode her finely tailored persona and she ducked an arrow bolt that would have lodged itself in her skull. Marian rolled towards Alexandra placing her behind her as she searched for the would be assassin.

Marian spotted three figures moving towards them. They wore white Overseer robes and had shining black masks, they had their blades drawn and wee quickly gaining ground. For an instant Marian feared that her mark had been discovered, that she had been careless in one of her outings and that she'd draw the Overseers to her and her operation.

She did not wait for them to surround them, she sprang into action, planning every movement as she was taught to in her childhood. She moved quicker than their attackers had anticipated. She came in low pulling the sword from her boot and quickly impaled the first one with it. She drove it in with enough force to crack a rib and cleanly piercing his heart. She quickly withdrew the blade and parried the second assassin's sword. She danced around him, grabbing his pistol and shoot the third in the face.

The gunshot echoed throughout the maze, and hopefully alerted a nearby guard of the attack.

The third assassin staggered back giving her time to properly engage the second prepared assassin. His motions were more fluid than the standard Overseer, faster than any trained man she'd engaged before, and reacted much faster than any human had the right to be. She jumped back just in time to avoid the third one reentered the fight.

Marian was certain that she could have ended the fight had the queen not been there to witness those unnatural abilities… but if the Overseers were hunting her it wouldn't really matter but there was something off that made stopped her from activating her Outsider given abilities.

She weaved and dodge until she was on the steps of the gazebo, she was certain she would lose until the fools gave her the upper ground. The opening appeared and she took it with glee.

She sliced the second ones wrist deep enough to sever the tendon but still the grip rip on his sword held strong and no blood came out, but she did removed the thirds neck with the second swing.

It was a shock when no warm blood erupted from his headless body, enough that the man cut the right side of her abdomen, through the clothes. She winced for half a second and that the opening he took kicking her in the stomach sending her tumbling towards Alexandra's feet.

"The book." The man commanded in a thick Serkonan accent.

The Queen clutched the book to her chest and eyed the black masked man's blade. He took one small step towards them wen a resounding blast echoed from the castle and a second later the man collapsed.

Marian reached out and clutched the assassin's hand, calling for the power of the Outsider to give her his whispers but she heard only silence.

That's when she saw it, the mask was blank and without the Abby's sigil burned into its forehead.

 **o0o0o0o0o**

From the top of the Tower, Janika stood leaning over the railing peering through a long cylindrical scope. In her hands was a Joplin long rifle, its barrel smoking and the smell of burning whale oil filled the air, and her ears rung from the roar of the gun.

She frowned as she shifted her sight to the castle governess. The Queen was fussing over the wounded woman as if she hadn't just seen her cut through two men. She had always had her suspicions about that woman and the new information just deepened them.

 **o0o0o0o0o**

 **A/N: So here's chapter two hoped you enjoyed.**

 **Please review or PM me with any questions**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 02: Night of Change (Part One)

 **1** **st** **day, Month of Darkness, 1847**

 _Throughout the ages, rulers have always faced attempts on their lives. Once in a generation the Empire is rocked by the death of a powerful political or religious figure. As such, city-states across the Isles have devised varying strategies for protecting their leaders._

 _In the capital city of Dunwall, each new Emperor is allowed to appoint a Royal Protector. This is far more than a trusted bodyguard. Much more revered than the hand-chosen guards defending Dunwall Tower or the food tasters, the Royal Protector is a court figure, given enormous latitude, who keeps constant company with the highest ruler in the known world. At the age of twelve, the young monarch participates in the selection process, making the final decision about who will safeguard his or her life. While most of those chosen as Royal Protector have been men, several times throughout history, a woman has served well in the role._

 _For the first time in Dunwall's history, a monarch has been slain by her own bodyguard. At the time of this writing, with Dunwall in the grip of the worst plague ever recorded, our fair Empress Jessamine Kaldwin has just been murdered. The deed was done by her former Royal Protector-turned assassin, Corvo Attano, who is still sitting in Coldridge Prison awaiting his deserved execution. Some argue that it is worth noting that Corvo Attano is the first Royal Protector in the history of the Empire born outside of the Isle of Gristol._

[Addendum]

 _Corvo Attano. Accused of assassinating the Empress he was sworn to protect. How unlikely he would not only overcome this shame, but then redeem himself so fully as to be named Royal Protector to yet another Empress! Those of us at the College of Histories were too fast to use pen against him!_

 _Yet let us not blame historians, for the evidence against Attano was nearly overwhelming. First, he is the only Royal Protector ever to have been born of an Isle other than Gristol. His "foreignness" is not itself a crime, but added to the suspicions (the most forgiving of which was that he lacked the capacity to fully understand his duties). Second, he was caught quite red-handed, with bloodied weapon, kneeling over the body of Empress Jessamine. Of course, it turns out that even this damning evidence was part of a clever plot to destroy the Empress and remove Attano from interfering with the ongoing plans of the Lord Regent's conspirators!_

 _And while I admit to publishing what are now clearly incorrect conclusions regarding Corvo Attano, I will not, as some my colleagues have done, resign my position at our veritable organization. But instead, I reassert myself in the endeavor of weeding out fact from fiction to produce the most salient histories possible!_

 _-_ _ **Excerpt from a Historical Record of Government Positions and Ranks**_

Marian sat alone in the cold simply furnished confines of her chamber within the Stone Tower. Her window overlooked the black stormy sea whose songs years ago had lulled her to restless sleep in her cabin aboard the Dreadful Wale, there were times she missed the sea almost as she had once missed her father, but even that had waned as the years passed.

" _In the darkness_  
 _Round and round_  
 _One bite, two bite, three bite, four_

 _In the sunshine_  
 _Hear that sound?_  
 _Jump up, jump down, jump for the door"_

Her voice rebounded of the walls, as if the shadows had begun to dance behind the velvet curtains. It was a traditional song taught to her by a musician who in the month it had taken to ferry her from Serkonos to Morley had fallen in love with Meagan. Marian remembered the woman fondly and from time to time she'd spot the musician near the market that were near her house.

" _In the nursery_  
 _Something crawls_  
 _Mind the ceiling, mind the floor_

 _In the Garden_  
 _Barbed and bright,_  
 _Round and round, and round no more"_

Marian stopped with a soft sigh. The sun had fallen beneath the horizon and with it whatever music in her heart vanished as the grimness of reality set in.

She had done a foolish thing in saving the Queen. Exposing herself in such a manner would almost certainly lead to her death before she could find the man who had murdered her father. It was undoubtedly suspicious that a so called a woman from Gristol had wormed her way to the heart of a kingdom with only the word of Anton Sokolov, a known member of the Empress' court, as a shield.

Oddly enough she could not bring to be fearful of her fate, the Void had robbed her of that not long into her service. They did not know of the mark seared into her left hand, if they did she would have been dragged out of the castle and into the local Abby regardless of the King's or the Queen's wishes.

It had made clear by Alfred that it was expected that she would remain in her room until summoned by the King and Queen. Marian had a fondness of the middle aged Natural Philosopher, he hair was still a dark chestnut color while his face held onto its youth with stubbornness that one could only find in Morley. Alfred had a scar under his left eye that he'd gained from the natives of Pandyssia in his youth under Sokolov. He was a hard man, whose only joys included teaching and drinking, not exclusively in that order.

Marian saw him for what he was: a tortured old soul who found peace in books and science.

She was lucky that she was only forced to wait for half a day before they sent a servant her way. A mouse of a boy, no older than the princess, he was dressed in clothes far too clean for someone of his station. "The Queen asks for you, ma'am." he mumbled, looking at the floor. "She says to meet her at her chambers."

Marian stood from the chair she'd ben sitting on and thanked the boy with a few coins from her purse. "Run along, now. " She ushered him away but still he stood at her door this time looking at her with the level of awe that only a child could conjure up. He'd looked at her for a solid minute before sprinting away leaving the Marian all the more confused.

With an arched eyebrow she made way to the door and closed so she cold get dressed with some semblance of privacy.

 **o0o0o0o0o**

Perched from the grand stairway, she watched Janika as she shouted at the guards with a ferocity she did not often seen in the normally stoic woman.

Marian leaned over the wooden rail, resting her weight on the structure, her steely blue eyes locked one of the two people who could speak of her unusual skill with a blade. Janika was a loyal soldier in service to the King and almost had her shackled and incarcerated in the castle's dungeons.

Had it not been for the insistence of the Queen, Janika would have surely gotten her way. The King, like the man in love he was, listened to his wife… against his better judgment, but he did constrain her to the castle grounds pending a discussion that would be postponed till after the High Overseer's arrival later in the day.

Yet that was not what had Marian's mind so focused on the Guardswoman. Before she'd been carted off to the Royal Physician, she had heard King Wyman instruct Janika to spin a tale.

' _For what purpose, though_?' She had asked herself during her stay at the infirmary. It would have been a simple matter to have had her killed when she was knocked down by that empty creature that wore the Mask of an Overseer, Janika only needed was shift the Joplin rifles sight slightly and pull the trigger once more.

The large bullet would have done the rest.

' _Perhaps Wyman wishes for a public execution….'_ Her blade work was enough to pin her as a spy, and the fact that she was armed so close to the heir apparent and his sister… it would have garnered enough outrage amongst the people that her innocence wouldn't have mattered. But if the lack of glares from the castle staff was any indication, that particular trail of though was not the path Janika and the king chose to follow.

Instead of swift, yet false, justice that she had expected, Marian found herself the subject of many Guard's hushed whispers. Some spoke of her with incredulity in their voices, while others seemed to praise her ability with a blade.

The number of Guards in the castle had doubled after the attack, forcing Janika to revaluate her near perfect plan to secure the castle. This brought its own set of problems that Marian had to consider.

This was a double-edged sword for the both of them and as such she did not know if she should thank the City Guard for insisting that they be allowed to aid the Royal Guard or curse them for it. It was true that they kept Captain Janika busy and that gave her more breathing room, but that also meant that there were more people keeping their eyes on her and there were far too many faces that she did not recognize.

"What are you planning?' She murmured to the walls. Marian had captured Janika's attention and in turn the Captain had caught hers. She was so focused that she did not notice a figure walk up from behind her until he spoke up.

 _"Restrict an errant mind before it becomes fractious and divided. Can two enemies occupy the same body?" No, for the first will direct it one way, and the second another, until they stumble into a ditch and its neck is broken. Likewise, two contrary thoughts cannot long abide in a man's mind, or he will become weak-willed and subject to any heresy."_ A familiar muffled, deep, nasally voice said, making Marian turn far too quickly, which agitated her bused ribs.

Overseer Marcus was a giant of a man who's size was only rivaled by his Zealotry. He dressed in a blood red uniform, similar to those of the disgraced High Overseer Campell , and his face was covered with a frowning worn, silver mask.

Marian's face was a mask of indifference as she faced a man she'd seen slaughter a fisherman for carrying a Bone Charm. "Overseer Marcus," She greeted in a polite tone. "is there something I can help you with?" Her right hand itched for her confiscated blade.

The man's eyes bore into her before speaking he spoke in his unusually demanding voice. "Tell me of the abominations that you faced, Governess Foster."

"I don't know what I can tell you that the Captain couldn't." Marian tried to excuse. She hadn't prepared to be confronted by the Overseers without some type of assurance.

Overseer Marcus scoffed in response. "Captain Janika did not face them as you did." He paused, resting a hand on the rail, getting far too close for her comfort. "The safety of the High Overseer may depend on this information."

Seeing no escape, Marian told him the few facts she'd observed. If she were lucky the Overseers would deal with the black masks before the could strike again.

"They did not bleed, Overseer." She began. "they also felt no pain, at least as far as I could tell, and they are quite strong."

"Not strong enough, if they couldn't slay a fragile starling like you." He said with a growl. "You killed two of them, with a sword. There are no records of your skill, no mention of your impressive skill noted by any of the Overseers across the Isles in the last twenty-two years. I find that odd, girl."

Marian crossed her arms and waited for the behemoth in front of her to make his move. She was ready to duck to the side and with the strength given to her by the outsider, rip his blade from his hand. But as luck would have it, Queen Alexandra appeared behind the Marcus with a gentle smile on her face.

"Is there a reason that you are impeding one of **my** servants from completing her duty, Overseer Marcus?" The Queen asked as her ice blue eyes bore into the masked man.

"I was asking for details, your majesty." He said bowing his head. "As you know his Holiness is set to arrive later this evening-"

"You were instructed to hold off any questions you might have concocted until after my husband has talked with Miss Foster." She warned him in low and cold tone. "If you disobey Wyman once more, I will personally see you thrown out in front of the of the High Overseer."

Marian was surprised at the Queen's hostility, but she did understand it. She had always found the Overseer's intimidating, doubly so after the Outsider granted her his Mark, the attempt on her life must have shaken the Queen's confidence in the Abbey. Tyvia had no Overseers, not after the princes were driven out by the _'People'_ and were replaced with black masked Operators.

Marcus took a step back, his body language showed that he was blatantly offended by the Queen's promise. Marian saw the Overseer's hand drift over to his sword, but halted as his hand touched the silver buckle of his belt. The hulking Overseer remained silent for a moment, either reciting the Seven Scriptures in his head or thinking of way he could get around the King and Queen. Judging by what Marian knew about the Overseer, she was sure it was the prior.

The large Overseer bowed deeply and left without another word. Alexandra watched him descend the grand staircase and disappear into one of the many hallways leading to the East Wing, where the High Overseer Yul Khulan and his party would be staying.

Marian sighed, she just knew that that he would be hounding her for the foreseeable future. Alexandra then turned her attention onto Marian, her cold smile turned warm as their eyes met.

"I had wondered why you hadn't arrived, Miss Foster…" The Queen began in a pleasant tone. "you are quite fortunate that I found you, my dear, Marcus has been known to be extremely zealous."

"Thank you for your timely intervention, your majesty." Marian said reverently as she bowed. "but you shouldn't trouble yourself with such lowly affairs."

Marian felt a firm hand on her left shoulder. "It was nothing, my dear. You did Morley a great service and the People know it, how could I stand idly by when you needed help. Now, please stand up straight it wouldn't do for a hero to be seen slouching. "

Marian met the Queen's eyes with confusion. "Hero?"

"Of course," She replied as if she were discussing the weather. "you risked your life for the security of Morley and in these troubled times the people have need heroes outside the Abbey." Marian nearly froze on the spot, being a hero bought far too much attention for someone who spent their time in the shadows.

Alexandra seemed to take her silence as shock incurred by excitement instead of fear, if her growing grin was any indication.

"In Tyvia, we awarded the title of hero for far less, it is pleasing that I have the rare opportunity to give the tittle of hero to someone deserving." Alexandra grabbed Marian right hand pulling her as they moved in the direction of the King's study. "Wyman agrees with me, and once he hears your story he will tell you the one Captain Janika and Alfred wrote for you."

Marian still in shock nodded and let herself be dragged away, the poor woman was almost convinced that she was trapped in a dream and that the Outsider would appear his indifferent face revealing nothing, but his dry tone betraying his slight amusement.

They walked quietly through the castle passing busy servants that would stop their work and stare as at the woman they'd seen everyday for years in a new light. Most nodded their heads head with smiles on their faces, others curtsied twice, once for the Queen and once for their new Hero.

By the time they reached the Study, Marian was unsure what her future held for her. Her network would certainly suffer for a long while, as she wouldn't be able to move through the crowds without drawing attention to herself.

Instinctually, Marian sped her step and opened the for Alexandra,. The door opened revealing the Older Wyman sitting on his desk in a red military uniform holding a glass of King Street Brandy as he discussed something with Alfred.

"Sire, this is an outrage," Alfred said in a disarming voice. "That is plane to us, but you must not let it bother you."

"How can I not, old friend?" He said squeezing his glass. "We agreed to host the High Overseer because it should calm the citizens, I am certain that did not-"

"We have arrived, dear husband." Alexandra interrupted. Alfred jumped out of his chair, giving the Queen a quick yet respectful bow.

The King's eyes drifted over Marian analytically. "Take a seat next to Alfred, Miss Foster."

"As you wish, my king." Marian did as she was told as quickly

Wyman stared at her for a moment before he spoke. "Tell me, how does a woman who studied under Anton Sokolov learn to wield a sword so…" He looked up at his still standing wife. "…if my wife is to be believed, skillfully?"

"My sister taught me." Marian answered without hesitation. "She's the captain of a whaling ship, the Dreadful Wale, I spent half of my life on that ship." It was almost comical how she was explicitly calling Meagan a Whaler and yet none of them bothered to make the connection.

"Ah, yes, the enigmatic Meagan Foster." The king said and took a swing of his brandy. There was a strange glint in his eye that Marian couldn't quite place. "I've heard a few things about the woman, none that I could honestly believe until your actions saved my wife's life." Marian was about to speak up but was stopped when Wyman lifted his hand in a silencing gesture. "I don't doubt that Sokolov chooses his allies well but you and your sister were a mystery. We will have time to discuss this in greater detail but right now? What I really wan to know is the reason that you chose my home."

Marian stared directly into Wyman's eyes. There was something dangerous about them, something far too primal to be shown by nobility.

"I'm looking for someone."

"You better be more specific, girl." Alfred said in his gravely voice.

Marian shot him a pointed look but otherwise ignored her friend. "I'm looking for a man who hides his face with a mask of death. His trail led me to Wynnendown."

"What did this man do to incur such anger, Sweet Marian?" The Queen asked.

"He murdered my father."

There was deafening silence after that. Alexandra looked moved, Alfred gave her a look of sympathy but remained in his chair, the king remained stoic and his face was a blank mask that gave nothing away. Unsurprisingly, Alexandra was the first to break the silence.

"Alfred, please take Marian to the kitchens and after have her help Alba dress for tonight's festivities." The order was clear leaving no room for argument. "Wyman and I have much to discus."


End file.
